Laconic comes from Laconia, the Spartan region of ancient Greece, and it still means using very few words, often bluntly.

Denote is a word’s direct meaning. Connote is the feeling or idea it suggests. Here is how to choose the right one.

“Muddy the waters” began as a literal image of cloudy water. Today it usually means making an issue more confusing or less clear.

“It is me” is standard in everyday English. Learn why it works, when “It is I” appears, and how similar examples behave.

The dog days means the hottest stretch of summer. The phrase comes from Sirius, the Dog Star, and ancient ideas about heat.